Page 28 of The Plan

“I don’t need your bribes.” She rolls her eyes and starts walking across the room. “Let's just get started so my day isn’t fully wasted.” She sounds annoyed, so I don’t say anything else and walk over to her, fighting back a smile.

She has an attitude the entire session, so I bite my tongue not to piss her off more.

When Wednesday rolls around, I make sure I’m ten minutes early, which means I have to sit in the waiting room. I hate every second of it, but whatever.

When I’m called, I walk to the end of the hall, and Vidia is setting up some new equipment. She turns around at the sound of the door shutting behind me, and I close the distance between us, handing her the piña colada I promised.

“I already told you I don’t need your bribes.”

I ignore her and hold the drink out closer to her. “Well, I already bought it, so just take it.”

“I don’t want it,” she fires back, and I feel myself growing annoyed. Why does she always have to be so difficult?

“What’d you eat today?” A crease grows in her brows, and she asks me why I care with her usual attitude. “Because you rarely eat breakfast, and you’re probably on an empty stomach.” I pull out the slice of tres leche and hand it to her.

She looks down at the combination of her two favorite things on this planet, but she doesn’t move to take either of them. “Stop making this hard for me, Vidia. I’m trying not to be an asshole to you today.”

“Knowing how much of a backstabbing liar you are, it’s probably poisoned.” She gives me a bored look, like me going out of my way to get this for her doesn’t impress her, but from theway her eyes keep cutting to them, I know she is at least a bit satisfied and wants the piña colada.

“Take it.” I ignore her comment and shove them at her, but she takes a step back.

“I had a big breakfast. I don’t want it.” I study her and can’t fight back the smirk that creeps onto my face. “What?” she asks so harshly I laugh but cover it with a cough because she somehow glares at me harder.

“You still have a bad poker face.”

She falters for a brief second but recovers just as fast and rolls her eyes. I decide there's no point in fighting with her. I walk over to her desk and place both the piña colada and slice of cake down before walking over to the equipment. She has me doing a new exercise today, and our session goes for an hour instead of our usual thirty to forty-five minutes.

Although I was seeing my old doctor for a month, I’m starting to feel a major improvement now that I’ve been working with her. I’m relieved as fuck because our game is around the corner, and the team has been asking if I’m going to make it. I, of course, told them yes, not because I think I’m going to but because I don’t need them to be nervous right before the game.

When I walk into myapartment, I hang up my keys, and my eyes land on the sticky note my sponsor made me write. He gave mehomework.I’ve been to a few more meetings, but since I’m almost a year sober and struggling, he says I need to make amends, so that’s my homework this week before I go to my next meeting.

I haven't spoken to Lis since last week, but I decided to stop putting this off and send her a text before heading back out.

I honestly shouldn't be this nervous to see her, but I am. I look down at the menu for the fifth time when the bell of the diner rings. I look up, and I notice Lisette making her way toward me.

“Hey.” I get up to hug her before we both sit back down. “Do you feel as shit as you look?” She breaks into a laugh, and I’m relieved as fuck for it. I figured this would be awkward, but I’m starting to think otherwise.

We haven’t hung out in person in maybe two months, mainly because of me, and it’s been weird between us. I’ve been taking so damn long to apologize, and she’s too good to me to bring it up.

“Yeah, I do. You could’ve lied and said I look good, though.”

“Would we even be considered siblings anymore if I did that?”

She flips me off, and I chuckle in response, but when I see the tired look in her eyes, I feel a weight in my chest. Lis relapsed a little after I did four years ago. We both started taking pills together in high school, and she swears we’re connected, so we always joked about how if one of us went down, so would the other.

“You look like you’re doing better than the last time we spoke, though.” I give a small smile and shrug. I do feel a bit better after these last few meetings I’ve been to.

“I didn’t ask to meet you here to talk about me.”

“Why did you call me? And if you say you need a favor, I’m leaving.”

I throw my head back with a laugh, and she rolls her eyes at me with a smile. She tucks her blonde hair behind her ear as she waits for me to reply. The couple in the booth next to us gets up to leave, and I let out a breath now that we’re able to talk without listening ears.

“I’m going to make a year sober soon.” That’s all I say, and she takes a sip of her water, then taps the rim of the cup like she’s trying to decide what to say.

“I don’t mean to downplay your achievements when I say this because you know I of all people am proud of you, but onlyalmostone year? The twins told me you were struggling, but I wish you would’ve.”

I nod slowly, feeling guilty for that. I know Lis would've helped, even if she was still mad at me, but I felt I didn’t deserve her forgiveness. That’s why I didn’t reach out when I was struggling and avoided talking to her about it.

---